KOTA KINABALU: Some 200 people working in the 30-storey Menara Tun Mustapha here rushed out of the building when they felt it tremble after a 6.6 earthquake hit the southern Philippines region of Mindanao at 10.30am on Thursday (July 11).
The tremors were also felt by staff in the adjacent Menara Kinabalu state administrative building while firemen also received calls from Wisma Wanita and Kota Kinabalu City Hall.
Tremors were also felt in east coast Tawau.
However, there were no reports of any building damage or casualties, a Sabah Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said.
In spite of that, the department mobilised teams to conduct building safety checks across several districts, including Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Tawau, Sandakan, Ranau and Kota Belud.
Workers in the state-owned Yayasan Sabah and Sabah Economic and Investment Authority (SEDIA) immediately left Menara Tun Mustapha after they felt the tremors.
Yayasan Sabah director Datuk Ghulam Haidarkhan Bahadar said he ordered his staff not to return to the office until a full safety check of the building was completed.
Menara Tun Mustapha, built in 1976, is unique for its 72-sided polygon and column-free floors.
Yayasan Sabah employee Ramsina Hansaram, who was on the seventh floor, said they felt a strong tremor but it lasted less than a minute.
"For some of us it seemed quite strong, with things shaking, but others said they did not feel much," she said.
MetMalaysia subsequently issued a statement to say that there was no tsunami threat.
